Category Archives: Bright Souls

Meet Krista and Ryan! They just got married at Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, VA. I met them last Fall when we did their engagement session at Leesylvania State Park in Dumfries, VA. But because I was in the thick of wedding season I never posted their fun engagement session. So let’s start there!

Krista and Ryan are one of the most down to earth couples I’ve ever worked with. I remember Krista giggling a lot when we first started their engagement session because it was awkward having the photos taken. But those giggles made for such natural and relaxed images. Add nature and the beach and wow!

It always seems like the big wedding day is SO FAR away when I do engagement sessions. But time just flies by and the next thing you know that special day is here. Not only are these two down to earth but they are so laid back and relaxed and that made for a wonderful wedding day that flowed with love and joy.

I loved the framed photos of their parents and grandparents on their wedding days. What a wonderful, personal touch!

Krista and Ryan’s wedding day was probably the chilliest day we had experienced in awhile. And it was really windy. Not fun for outdoor photos! Luckily Lansdowne has some great indoor spots for portraits.

You gotta love a DJ that gets into his job!

I don’t think anybody is having fun here! Nope, nobody:)

Congratulations Krista and Ryan! I hope your life together is amazing and brings many new adventures and of course, lots of love! Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your special day!

Special thanks to my second shooter, and my awesome hubby and partner in crime, Shawn. He got some great shots of the fellas and of course it’s awesome to have him there with me!

Mmmmmm … soul healer. Don’t you just love how that sounds? Like the very words are healing themselves. But what exactly is a soul healer? Well, meet Aimee … she is a soul healer, empowering women to release their suffering (depression, panic, anxiety, PTSD, etc) and reclaim their power so they can access their divine gifts and live their true purpose. And I had the extreme honor and privilege of photographing her.

Aimee was rebranding her business and offerings and reached out for photography for her new website. Y’all know how much I LOVE personal branding shoots for women business owners and entrepreneurs! And her mission is to empower women. My mission is to empower women. That is some synchrodestiny right there!

Part of my process is sending some questions to clients to help them dig a little deeper to connect with themselves, so they can get clear on what they want their images to reveal to their prospective clients. Because let’s be real here … people are visual. And when you have a website you want the images on your site to create connection with people that view your site. You want them to know you without having actually met you. You want to create that relationship, that trust, from the instant your page loads. If your images come across awkward or lacking authenticity, people will feel that. They may not be able to articulate what it is but they can feel it. And that’s where I come in. I am here to bring that authenticity out, to reveal the magick that lies within you.

Aimee and I met up on a pretty chilly day in February and let me tell you, she was a trooper in that chill. Barefoot in the sand, no jacket, no complaining about the cold. She wanted images that showed her bold, truthful, empowered, warm, loving, nurturing, accepting, respectful, safe, spiritual and sassy qualities. Love me some sassy! But it’s awkward being photographed. Some people are naturals in front of the camera. Most of us, myself included, are not. And that’s ok. My job is to see past that and guide you through it.

Yes, we do the headshots, the looking at the camera and the poses. You need those images too. But then we play and I look for the moments in between. You know, those moments where we just let go, be present and enjoy that moment. It might feel a little ridiculous twirling with a peace of fabric but when you let go we find the magick. And we definitely captured Aimee’s magick!

And I have recently partnered with amazing life coach and art of being expert Marci Moberg. We are offering a kick ass Being Centered Business Personal Branding Journey for Fempreneurs. This program with Marci’s expertise and mine, helps you get clear on business, build an authentic brand, take your business to the next level and get the imagery you need to bring it all together. Learn more about it here. And since we just launched this, we are offering this amazing program at a discounted rate to 3 Fempreneurs. Contact me today for more info or to get in on this!

Thank you Aimee, for trusting me:) It was my honor and pleasure and I am deeply grateful!

Fellow Conspirators. Kind of like Partners in Crime. I love that phrase and was looking for something similar to describe the partnerships I’m making with other women business owners. I’ve met some pretty amazing women in the last year through Femworking and Charmed Cardinals and have started developing partnerships. We are each conspiring — joining forces, uniting and working together — to elevate each other and our businesses. Hence Fellow Conspirators. It’s truth and a little edgy with the whole conspiring part!

As I create, develop and nurture these partnerships I’m going to feature them here! Because the services they are offering are things you are probably seeking. It’s a great time start this because it’s Women’s History Month and all of the ladies I feature are making history. We all are whether it’s in our families, our communities, our work or with ourselves.

Meet my first featured Fellow Conspirator, Megan McCourt. Megan owns Picture This Photo Solutions. Let me ask you this. Do you have a hard drive full of photos that you NEVER look at? Do you not even know where to begin to start organizing all the pictures? Are your parents constantly nagging you for photos of their grandchildren? Don’t remember the last time you sat down as a family and looked at prints or albums? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you need to read on about Megan’s signature Yearbook service and product.

Megan’s gorgeous photo by: Fotos By Nadine

Who is your typical client?

The majority, but not all, of my clients are women. Many are retired, but I also have a handful of clients who are in their prime working years and simply too busy to complete their photo projects. I can safely say ALL my clients recognize the treasure that is their photo collection and the importance of protecting and honoring it.

What gave you the idea to offer yearbooks?

One of my favorite childhood memories is receiving my annual school yearbook, reliving all the happy memories from each grade level, watching as my friends & I grew and changed from year to year, gathering autographs from friends & teachers. I had a sense that we were documenting memories that otherwise would have easily been forgotten. I still have ALL my yearbooks from kindergarten through college and I tremendously enjoy looking back at them to this day. Prior to thinking of this as a potential product offering, I set out to create a yearbook for my family’s 2015 memories. When I received the final product and saw how much joy it brought my family, I realized how powerful this product could be for my current & future clients. So many of us love taking photos, but never get around to doing anything with them. This service makes it quick & easy for the busy families I know to actually commit to and finish a family yearbook.

How do work with your clients to make it easy and efficient for them?

My yearbook program is a monthly subscription service whereby I create a private Dropbox folder for each client and remind them once a month to upload their favorite photos from the previous month, while the memories are still fresh in their minds. In this way, creating a yearbook never gets overwhelming because we’re curating the photos on a monthly basis. Likewise, I offer online album proofing once a quarter, so edits are happening in 3-month sections, rather than attempting to edit the entire 154-page book in one go.

How do you want your clients to feel when they see their yearbook?

The ultimate goal for my family yearbooks is to foster a sense of connection between family members, giving them a reason to gather together and take their time re-living all the special events of the year and also some of the day-to-day candid shots so many of us take. I also want the yearbook to relieve the anxiety many of my clients feel towards their photo collections by the simple act of getting their photos out of the virtual world and into the real world in a physical book that can be passed down through the generations of their family.

Why is it important for people to have books with their photos each year?

As I mentioned above regarding my school yearbooks, it’s fun to watch how you & your family grow and change as the years pass by. It’s easy to forget how little your children once were or how colorful your hair once was, now that it’s all gray. I regularly joke about this, but seriously, if not for my childhood photos, I wouldn’t remember much about my early years. My memory is not as robust as I’d like. Thankfully, photos are wonderful for triggering memories that might have been forever buried if not for the captured moment. Many of us don’t print our photos anymore, so documenting our memories in a physical book that can be shared with family members is a great way to preserve and protect our family’s legacy. Hard drives crash, memory cards get lost and smartphones die, all increasing the chance of losing our precious digital photo memories. Committing to get your photos in print via an annual yearbook all but guarantees the longevity of your memories for your family now and for future generations.

Megan is offering my clients a special for a 2017 Yearbook — the first two months free — if you sign up by the end of March.

Are you seeing the trend here? Amazing women doing amazing work and I get to photograph them to help support their businesses? I just couldn’t be more grateful for the path I’m going down and the entrepreneurs I’m meeting.

Back in January, on what we thought had to be the last warm day of winter, I met up with Cordelia in West Virginia to do some personal branding photography for her and her business Workout Around My Day. Cordelia is working with moms to nourish, energize and inspire themselves with wholesome healthy food, movement and positive self-talk. She’s teaching them that it can be easy to squeeze in exercise and make healthy meals.

Life gets crazy busy with work, families and obligations and the next thing you know we are not taking care of ourselves. And when we don’t take care of ourselves, everything and everyone suffers. I always say the infrastructure is crumbling. You know, when there’s no healthy food in the house, exercise is a dream and anxiety is through the roof. Then the laundry piles up, and the house is a wreck, etc, etc, etc… And then the negative self-talk gets loud. Really loud. It’s a viscous cycle. And Cordelia knows how crazy things can get for moms because she is a mom of 6! So she really knows this stuff!

I met Cordelia through Femworking, an amazing group of female entrepreneurs that get together to support each other and our businesses. I cannot say enough great things about this group. Joining Femworking was the number one best thing I did for my business last year. So many AMAZING women!

When Cordelia answered the questions I sent her regarding her photoshoot she said she wanted people to see her fun, welcoming and energized personality. That was so easy to capture because that is her essence. She said she shines her light to others and encourages others to do the same. Oh yes, she shines so, so brightly. And then she mentioned that she liked dancing and that’s all I needed to know. When I asked her to dance she jumped right into it. She didn’t even need music because she’s amazing that way!!

We had a great afternoon getting images of her preparing healthy foods and coaching and then we went to Harpers Ferry where she danced with so much light beaming she was brighter than the sun.

Thank you so, so much Cordelia for allowing and trusting me to capture your beautiful essence. It was an honor! And we should all dance like you, with complete freedom and abandon.

Yes, another Personal Branding session. I told you the Universe was listening!

Meet Jessica. Jessica is one of the sweetest, most kind and compassionate, open and authentic women I know. I met her at Pure Prana Yoga Studio where I teach yoga.

Jessica is a prenatal yoga instructor and doula and was in need of images for her website and business Bliss Birth Yoga. I was so excited when she contacted me because I love photographing women, I love photographing women entrepreneurs and I love photographing yoga and wellness entrepreneurs. Triple love!

I have questionnaires for clients that help us identify what they want out of their session. Often, myself included when I had a photo shoot last year, we don’t know what we want other than great photos. But I want to reveal that magic that lies within you, so sometimes we need to dig a little deeper.

For her business and website, Jessica wanted to show her nurturing confidence, her strong desire and ability to support women and to show that she is a “woman’s woman.” More love because I’m ALL ABOUT the ladies — empowering, supporting, uplifting. And to help Jessica show her qualities that related to this? Let’s just say synchronicity flowed.

She also shared the following with me: “I love supporting women during one of the great, most challenging days of their lives. Every time a woman has a positive birth experience, it’s a step forward in changing the culture towards valuing women, and their physiological natural power. I do this work to create change for women and their families. I love my clients and all my students so deeply. I love them for their struggles and challenges – for the stage of life that they are in and all it’s richness for growth. I love them because they are me and I am them. We are interconnected as sisters.” Makes you want to get pregnant and have a baby so you can have Jessica support you, doesn’t it?! She embodies this, 100% even when it was a photoshoot. You can feel the love she has for these ladies.

I love this and I loved working with Jessica. What an amazing, bright soul.

And big, huge, gigantic thanks to Lauren Feliz Durshin from Beauty By Word Of Mouth for coming out and doing Jessica’s makeup. Lauren is AMAZING! Check her out while you’re at it:)

And big, huge, gigantic thanks to our pregnant models who came out.

And finally, thank you Jessica, for trusting me to capture your essence. I am blessed and beyond grateful.

Recently I put out to the Universe that I wanted to do more Personal Branding sessions.

“Personal Branding is the practice of people marketing themselves and their careers as brands.” To me this speaks to entrepreneurs, people creating and running their own businesses, offering some sort of services. Branding involves logos, colors, fonts, graphics and imagery to create a mood, a feeling about a business, or in this case a person, because they are the business.

As a designer and artist, I love working with all of the above to create a mood. Add in some photographs and oh yeah. Love it. Because part of what I do is bring out the magic that lies within. And it’s the magic that is at the center of so many entrepreneurs’ businesses.

So the Universe said, alright then, will do. Thanks Universe! And the Universe has sent these sessions with amazing female entrepreneurs. Which goes right along with my whole focus of empowering women through my portraits of them. Talk about synchronicity and alignment.

Denyse from Lavender Om Wellness contacted me about personal branding photographs for her new website. Bonus, her business is Yoga related and I’m a yoga teacher and practitioner. Perfect fit!

We met at Meadowlark Gardens back in November on one of those gorgeous afternoons that was unseasonably warm. Perfect color, perfect light and an amazing day.

Denyse admitted that she did not like having her photo taken and I don’t blame her. It’s awkward and uncomfortable. You don’t know what to do. I’ve been there! One of these days I’ll share my photo shoot story. Just know that I know how it feels.

And you know what, she did an amazing job! All we needed to do was connect to the beauty of that day. And add in some fun swirling and twirling.

See Denyse’s images in action at her all new website www.lavenderomwellness.com. And go take her class. You know you need some good yoga!

Thank you Denyse for the opportunity to photograph you and to empower you and your business! I’m honored and grateful.

I love photographing women. And I love photographing women entrepreneurs. And I love that in photographing women entrepreneurs, I am helping them represent their businesses, not only with what the business is all about but by showing the world who they are. Inside and out.

There’s been so much chatter about personal branding and is it real or is it trying to show you in a false light. Someone who you really aren’t but want the world to think you are. Certainly there are people out there doing that, but what I love about creating personal branding imagery is that I bring out my client’s true spirit, the magic that lies within them. Because who wants to do business with someone that’s false from the get go? Who wants to do business with someone that looks uncomfortable, awkward or lacking in authenticity? Not me. Not you. And when that magic is revealed, people can feel it. And they know inside they’re hiring the right person for the job.

I ask them all the questions about their business, who their demographic is — all the standard stuff. But then I ask them what their personal strengths are, what brings them joy, what are the diverse aspects of their personality, what qualities they want their potential clients to see from the images we create. And then I capture this — their authentic nature.

I recently had the opportunity to work with an amazing entrepreneur who I met through Femworking. Her business, SXCS Collective, is about activating the “super powers” of her clients. So that they, their business and their staff can thrive. And Carole is just the person to do this, because she has super powers of her own. She is passionate about what she does — engaging and asking deep questions that help you swim through muddy waters and find answers and solutions. She is also an amazing survivor. Her story proves her own super powers. She is full of light, life, passion, joy, grace … total magic. And I was honored to photograph her expression of all of that.

We had a fun, afternoon at Ida Lee Park and in/around downtown Leesburg capturing Carole’s spirit. And yes, there’s a super hero type image for fun!

Thank you Carole, for trusting me to capture your true spirit and magic! You truly are a Bright Soul!

“Like a river flows surely to the sea, Darling so it goes, Some things are meant to be.
Take my hand, take my whole life too, For I can’t help falling in love with you.” – Elvis Presley

If there was ever something meant to be, it’s these two being together, forever.

You might remember Tine & Keith. I first saw them at the Alice in Wonderland birthday party I photographed at the O St. Mansion back in 2014. Then they got engaged and I was honored to shoot their engagement photos. And then back in October it was time for their wedding.

I knew their wedding would be full of fun, funky style. First of all, there was the venue. The O St Mansion. An eclectic mix of a vintage mansion and decor that’s like a old school thrift store combined with an old school record shop and concert hall and hotel. Eclectic enough for you? Maybe there’s a handful of ghosts hanging out in that place too. If you’re looking for anything old, freaky and vintage, you’ll find it here. And you can buy the stuff that is everywhere.

Then there was Tine and Keith’s funky, rock ‘n roll, vintage style. And I was not disappointed. Cool hats, feathers, a Best Woman, fur wraps for the little ones, and more. You’ll see.

But mostly it was full of love. Their love for each other, the love from their family and friends as they came together to commit their lives to each other.

Yes, that’s a floating dress with arms. Because O St. Mansion. And that is one of many, many secret doors in this place. Yes it took pretty much all night to remember how to get from one place to the other!

Loved their no look, first look:)

Here’s the groom sneaking into the ceremony area through one of those secret doors to the Pink Panther music!

As much as I love the first look before the ceremony because it gives you lots and lots of time for portraits, it never, ever gets old seeing the groom’s face when he sees the bride walking down the aisle.

As if the vows weren’t emotional enough — the bride had a little surprise for the groom. She had a video of her singing “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You.” It was the most sweet, amazing part. And yes, pretty much everyone was teary eyed. Proof below:) Me too!

Then we ran around that crazy house and got some amazing portraits. Tine and Keith really did pick the perfect venue. So, so them.

And fish-eye lens because O St. Mansion!

And then it was party time. Talk about a great place for trippy shutter dragging pics!

Special thanks to my wonderful husband, Shawn. He was my second shooter that day and many of these images are his!

Congratulations Tine and Keith! You’re both awesome people and an amazing couple!

Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine with each and all beings, we undertake the practice of growing in happiness each day – Buddhist wedding vows

That was one line from the buddhist wedding vows Angelique and Jeffery read together on their wedding day at the beautiful Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in September. What an amazing way to start a marriage, by affirming where you are not only together but connected to the greater world. And to commit to walking your new life together with awareness.

I met Angelique 5 years ago when she was a zombie in this fun engagement shoot! We learned shortly after that we were connected through yoga. In fact she did her yoga teacher training with one of my favorite yoga teachers in the area. Then back in January we did a family session with her fiance and his kids. And then it was time for their wedding!

Weddings, of course, are very emotional. And their’s was no exception. In fact it all started with the groom and his groomsmen getting ready. The groomsmen had a pool going for when the Groom would cry for the first time. Keyword … first:) It’s a big day and easy to become overwhelmed with emotion. Especially when there is so much love and gratitude.

Back to the pool! The first time was when Jeffery was giving the groomsmen their gifts and expressing how much they mean to him. His oldest son won the pool!

Another emotional moment was when Jeffery’s brother gave him a stone. It’s dad, he said. Their father had passed away but this stone represented him. So, so touching.

Then it was onto the girls getting ready! The maid of honor’s little girl was in the wedding. So her mom explained the whole day and what was happening by telling her Angelique was going to be a fairy princess for the day and that she had an important job to help her.

The ceremony was filled with just as many touching moments. From Angelique being walked down the aisle by her father to Jeffery seeing Angelique and saying “Oh my god, she’s absolutely beautiful.” The look on his face doesn’t lie … she took his breath away.

In case you haven’t noticed, the color scheme was rich with reds, oranges and purples — deep, vibrant, full color. Some of my favorite combinations.

The wedding was at Meadowlark Botanic Gardens in Vienna, VA. It’s a must see. Stunning gardens, views, beauty and nature. We hopped in some golf carts and hit a few places on the grounds for some portraits.

Their reception had more very touching moments. One of the Groom’s daughters wrote and performed a song for the Bride and Groom to which they had their first dance as husband and wife.

And of course all the reception fun. I love photographing the fun, reception energy.

Congratulations Jeffery and Angelique! Thank you for including me in your special day. I wish your happiness to grow each and every day.

“Woah, woah, life is better with you. Woah, woah, life is better with you.” – Michael Franti.

If you really want the ear bug from this song, take a listen here. This was the song that Jen and Jeff played for their first dance. The cutest, sweetest first dance ever. And now that you’ve listened (and if you haven’t, go listen, because it’s awesome!!) and can hear it in your head, it’s seriously the perfect soundtrack for their magical day.

When I met Jen and Jeff back in January and then again for their engagement session I could feel their magical vibe right away. And their wedding at Melrose Caverns just outside of Harrisonburg, VA a few weeks ago had not only their magic but the love and magic of their friends and family. Think unicorns, dragons, crystals, sparkles, special momentos and a mystical venue! What an amazing day.

All the incredible floral arrangements, boutonnieres, fans and other details didn’t come from a florist. They were hand made, just like all of the other decor, by family and friends.

Each layer of this cake had special significance. It was also made by a family member. If I recall the bottom layers were in remembrance of beloved family and the top layer signified all the possibilities for the future. And how about the unicorn and dragon on top! And I had a slice of that cake. Let’s just say I’ve been craving more since then!

All weddings are special for me. I always feel so honored that the couple wants me to capture their day for them. This one was a little more special because my own husband was second shooting for me! We got to work our own magic together. More magic!! And fun. Because the couple and their friends and family were that much fun. There were no nerves, no drama, just joy and tons of love.

The ceremony was performed by a friend and every word had so much meaning. She even had them place seven crystals, each with a different meaning and significance toward their union, into a special box.

Loved their little dance down the aisle and the path after the ceremony! Loved it!

This was also one of the larger bridal parties I’ve worked with and can I just say how awesome they were! Sometimes it takes a while to get all those portraits after the ceremony. They were patient and SO easy to work with. What absolutely wonderful people. And of course the officiant blew some magic fairy dust onto the couple!

And then reception fun. So much reception fun. And Jen and Jeff changed outfits for reception shenanigans. Loved the sparkles on her second dress,his hat and both of their light up shoes!

Oh and it might have been a little hot that day! Hence the Marilyn Monroesque shot:)

Congratulations Jen and Jeff! I wish all the magic from your special day to continue every day for the rest of your lives!